Image caption Protesters say the authorities are doing little to stop the killings

Zainab went missing on her way to a Koran recital. Her body was found about 2km from her home.

However, Zainab’s family say the police did not take action after they reported her disappearance and it was relatives who recovered CCTV footage of Zainab’s movements before she disappeared, not the police.

The footage showing a girl being led by the hand by a man was circulated widely on social media.

“If the police would have acted immediately, the culprit would have been caught,” Zainab’s father told Geo TV as he arrived back in the capital Islamabad from Saudi Arabia, where he had been on a pilgrimage.

Police say similar incidents appear to be taking place in Kasur every other month.

Last month, a nine-year-old girl went missing in the city centre after going to the shops near her home. She managed to escape her captor and return home but has been left severely traumatised by her ordeal, reports say.

Zainab’s murder has led to widespread anger on social media, where the hashtag #JusticeforZainab was one of the top trending topics worldwide.

Actors and cricketers were among those demanding the murderer’s arrest.